


God Eater: Crestfallen Burst

by orphan_account



Category: God Eater | Gods Eater
Genre: Gen, Kimiko|Mei taking place of the protag, Mei playing the role of Kimiko---, i hope to god that i spelled those right
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 21:54:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4893748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Don't make the wrong move unless you're looking for death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Burst Start

**Author's Note:**

> {I can't reach my Tumblr account due to forgetting and going here and there until I just gave up, oops}
> 
> I'm honestly not very good at this. It has non-game parts and game parts that are done differently or game parts that aren't included. Kimiko is the character that fills the role of the Protagonist. Somethings will have to be waited to figure out, but most things lead to something important. So, even things that seem off or really weird, will most likely be explained. Also, I have never written for this series so the characters might act off.
> 
> This first chapter has three things going on at the same time. Here's the key to that;  
> Bold - Basically the introduction to everything, mostly  
> Italics - First mission for the new type  
> Plain - Kota

**"This is Fenrir, also known as humanity's last fortress."**

 

⊙⊙⊙

 

_Defeat the enemy no matter what._

 

●●●

 

"Wow, I can't believe it!"

 

○○○

 

**"You have the job of protecting the human race from extinction."**

 

⊙⊙⊙

 

_A gold drill with a blue hilt waited for it's turn to fight._

 

●●●

 

"I finally did it!"

 

○○○

 

**"Dying is always happening and so is leaving comrades behind."**

 

⊙⊙⊙

 

_Large gray paws broke the surrounding area._

 

●●●

 

"I did it, I can protect them."

 

○○○

 

**"This is not a job for weaklings or those who can't handle death."**

 

⊙⊙⊙

 

_A large, ridge blade was preparing to sink its teeth into the beast with the electric collar._

 

●●●

 

"It feels so… Surreal."

 

○○○

 

**"The only weapons that can do any damage against the Aragami is called a God Arc; old-type or new-type."**

 

⊙⊙⊙

 

_The blades within the red chainsaw spun._

 

●●●

 

"This is great!"

 

○○○

 

**"Old-types can use either a gun or a blade while new-types can use both."**

 

⊙⊙⊙

 

_With a jump, the drill flipped into a blue gun and fired a laser-like bullet._

 

○○○

 

"I did it!"

 

●●●

 

**"This is your new life."**

 

○○○

 

"I'm a God Eater!"

 

♦   ♦   ♦

 

"A rookie… They never know what they signed up for." Whispers came from behind him.

 

"A--Ah… Umm…" The boy with an orange and yellow stripped hat scratched the back of his head.

 

"That new-type rookie is in deep shit, though."

 

"Really? What happened?"

 

"They're in the First Unit and at their first mission, they misfired and hit…" The whispering became too quiet to hear anymore.

 

The rookie just walked away rather quickly. However, he was stopped from going up the stairs by the red-haired girl behind a circular desk. They exchanged words, rather calmly until…

 

"Oh, gossiping?" the two whispering jumped away. "That's a little rude, don't you think?"

 

"Err, well, news just travels fast around here."

 

"Oh, I see," the green eyed female smiled sweetly with a nod.

 

"Aren't you gonna move along?" One asked since the girl remained in her spot.

 

"Mhm, of course," again, she nodded with a kind look. "I'm sure it'll spread everywhere! It'll make you happy, right?"

 

"What?"

 

"Oh, you want me to say it?" She muttered, as if she was embarrassed. Her 'trusting' presence left the minute her eyes became dull. "I'm giving you my ticket to the official meet-and-greet with his fury."

 

"What---"

 

With a shake of her head, she giggled. Her joy returned, making the mood slightly lighter. "Oh, are you assigned to the First Unit?" She skipped over to the boy with a more natural seeming smile.

 

"Uh, Yeah, atleast I think so…" A twinge of uncertainty locked him in place. Something feels off…

 

"Aha! That's great!" She clapped with a gentle grin. "I'm also part of the First Unit. I joined yesterday as the first new-type at the Far East Branch."

 

"A new-type?" He brightened up. "That's awesome! I'm just an old-type. What's it like, being one of those?"

 

She giggled. "It's nothing special, really."

 

"Really? But can't you do all kinds of cool stuff?"

 

"I can only switch between a gun and a blade, that's all. Change of sub… Sub… So.. Soajact! I'm Kimiko."

 

"Um… Oh, I'm Kota, nice to meet ya!"

 

"Kota, alright… I look forward to working with you."

 

"Yeah, same to you! Hey, want some gum? My mom says it'll calm anyone down."

 

"Calm? But I am--"

 

"Aha… It looks like I already ate the last one, oops. I guess I was really worried about coming here and all that stuff."

 

"That's fine, I hoped you enjoyed it."

 

"Oh! Yeah, it's pretty good, just has a really bad after taste---"

 

The sound of someone clearing their throat stopped Kota's talking. A cold snare and obvious anger, the blue-coated person looked down at them from the top of the stairs. She held up her hands, as if a criminal that just got caught.

 

"Aye--I mean hey, Soma." Her expression changed to a more pouty one; the type a child would give when they don't get to play in the snow. "Wow, you are... good at ema… Emma… Angry! You're good at being… angry?"

 

"'Tch, atleast I'm good at something," he walked to them, glaring at Kota slightly. "Great, another damn rookie…"

 

Kimiko put her hands on her hips. "Insulting will only get you killed."

 

"And who could successfully kill me?"

 

"I--"

 

"Someone who can't aim right? Yeah, when hell freezes over."

 

"Aww, clueless? Hell is home to Aragami and we--"

 

"And? You think I don't know how much of a hell hole this world has become? Think again and just admit you can't aim."

 

"I--It was one time! I can aim perfectly well!"

 

"If you mean you can aim better than roadkill then, that'd be an insult to the dead thing."

 

"Hah, if the roadkill is you then it'd be no problem."

 

"There's no problem if you don't have a gun."

 

"You… You can still aim wrong with a blade! Especially with that clumsy one!"

 

"Considering how I've been using this 'clumsy' God Arc for years, I don't think it'll be as much of a problem as you."

 

"It doesn't… It's still possible!"

 

"And it's still possible that you're a liability, dipshit." He flicked her forehead before walking away. "Just stay out of my way, the chances of death are high enough with me here."

 

"I can still aim! And I'll purposefully aim at your d--"

 

"Is this how things are outside of missions?" Kota questioned, rather confused.

 

The red-haired lady at the desk smiled weakly. "Not really… Well, a few arguments do happen, but Miss Tsubaki's usually here to stop them before they even start. I'm Hibari, just a counter girl, and they don't exactly listen to me very much."

 

"I'm going to get water." Kimiko sighed then smiled slightly. "Good luck." Without any hesitation, she calmly walked away.

 

"Uh… B--Bye?" Kota waved slowly.

 

"I'm sure you'll get used to things here quickly. Hopefully Kimiko will too." Hibari shook her head. "You have an interesting group to work with, at least."

 

"R--Right."


	2. Try again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to try again, time to try... again...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two! Mmm, might up the rate to M with a warning. 
> 
> I wanted more to be in this one, but it's basically the ssme length as the first chapter. I guess I add too many filters, oops. I'll try to do better, hopefully.

Another mission…  
Another liability…  
Another chance to hurt…

"Hey, you there, Kimiko?"

"Hu---Eh?" The rookie shot her head up and straighted her pose. Just like a perfect heroine in a childen's book...

A dark-haired woman smiled and lightly laughed. "I was going over the mission details."

"Oh, yes, of course." Kimiko looked off to the side while her leg began creating circles on the ground. "I… I'll need them repeated, please."

"It's a three-person mission with Kota, you and myself. It's simple work; we have to clear out some Aragamis. They're small ones like the Ogretail and Cocoon Maiden."

"Alright, simple enough. I'm positive everyone will do well. Is there anything else, Sakuya?"

"Oh, I nearly forgot this, but there's a chance a Kongou might show up." She paused, hesitating on her next words.

Kimiko moved closer to her with a voice of kindness. "Is something wrong?"

"O--Oh, well… I don't know how to say this, but…" Sakuya weakly smiled. "You're a bit too close, Kimiko. Personal space, you know?"

"That's not it, is it?" She stepped back with a small tilt of her head.

"Um… There is... one more thing… You… should refrain from using your gun…" The other's smile seemed to weaken. "It's… rude to say, but it… it makes you a liability..."

"Ah… I don't mind." Kimiko nodded her head and then smiled too sweetly. "Well, as long as it helps, I'll do it."

She hesitated again, her face… There was a tinge of regret. "Kota's waiting ahead so, we should go."

◇ ◇ ◇

A liability… That's what everyone has been saying… Hurting someone… What if it ends up killing someone?

Aboard the copter, Kota mostly talked on and on about something called 'Bugarally' or something and it probably didn't help that Kimiko seemed to encourage him. A few laughs here and there, but once Sakuya announced that they were close to their target they both stopped.  
Nervous… That barely covered the strong sense of uneasiness once they hit the dark terrian. Just like the mission said; the small monsters were on the move, and hungry. They were inside some sort of group since they barely walked away from each other.

"A Kongou must be near for them to group up like this." Sakuya stated before looking over to Kimiko. "You'll have to attack down there with them, but Kota and I won't be far and will be fighting as well. Just remember; Cocoon Maidens are stationery and can be simple to kill, but they can attack while you're fighting something else so, they get in the way easily. Ogretail are pretty simple; they attack, or bite, in close-range. So, Kimiko, you forcus on those and we'll focus on getting the others out of the way. Let's finish this quickly."

Easy, right? But… 'You can still miss with the blade!', why did she bring that up when it'll only add to her chance of downfall? They were even on higher ground than her, yet…

"I'll do my best! Stay safe!" She giggled before jumping off the ledge. "I'm counting on your su.. su.. help!"

"Good luck, Kimiko! We're going to totally ace this mission, no problem!" Kota waved with a big grin on his face.

"Yeah… Good luck, Kimiko…" Sakuya bit her lip while her concern only grew. With a shake of her head, she smiled at the old-type rookie. "Come on, Kota, we've got ourselves a big job to do!"

◇ ◇ ◇

Taunting scent… That'll help get them to focus on her and, maybe even… hopefully, follow.

Her drill was in her left hand, the tip facing behind her. "I… I just have… this chance… I have no… I hafta…" She tightened her sweaty grip. "This is… what th--they need… I can't hurt…"

Time to think wasn't when hungry beasts are nearing. Impulse, that's the key, right? Just do whatever's necessary to keep them back.

Only.  
One.  
Chance.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Remember, we're aiming for the Cocoon Maidens. Do you know which ones they are?" Sakuya asked once they settled by a small wall of rocks. It was high enough for them to duck and cover if needed and close enough to do serious damage, but far enough so the Aragami wouldn't easily reach them.

Kota looked at the ground below, over the two-legged creatures and to the grounded cocoon-like ones that opened to fire stronger bullets. "Yeah, I think so. They don't seem too hard from here. Are Aragamis all this simple?"

"If only they were…" She shook her head and prepared her smoother gun. "These are simple, but Kongous are a level-up and god forbid anything else shows up…"

"A--Alright, I'll keep my eyes open!"

◇ ◇ ◇

Kimiko hurtled from broken rock to cracked surface and ledge, etcetera while the Ogretails got more than interested in her scent. Once it was clear enough that they were following, she hit the ground running.

The others' bullets stayed on target and continously let them fly overhead like a barrage of brightly colored butterflies. Butterflies that lead to a safer future, a world washed of all this fear and free to start over...

Start over… No more fear…

"Just start over---" Before Kimiko could turn to face the Aragami -- the ones that followed her to the other side of the wrecked building -- away from the other two -- the two she could harm -- the only others that could provide help -- leaving her alone -- leaving the rookie to fight whatever came her way -- her own choice -- the one with a fastly formed anxiety of misfire -- the one who could never win ---

The monstrous roar felt like it was already breaking her in half with one bite, leaving no traces except its paw prints and escaped drops of blood, wrapped around shreds of fabic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If requested, I can remove this and/or the account.


	3. Y/N ?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one leaves unharmed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Err, I'm not sure what to say. I wrote it pretty quickly and it should be about the same size as the others.

"Wh--Wha---You, um, heard that too, right?" Kota nearly dropped his weapon at the sound of angry roar. "W--What the hell was that?"

"Oh god, it can't be---" Sakuya couldn't survey the area quick enough. "Where's Kimiko?"

"I--I don't know, what should we do?" He swallowed his nervous stutters as much as he could.

Sakuya touched her ear piece. "Kimiko? Where are you?" With a point to the helicopter above, she gave a small glance. "Get on the plane, I'll go find her."

"But---"

"We can't let a member die, we're in groups to ensure safety of all of us."

He hesitated before nodding. "Then, I'll help, too!"

"Kota, did---"

"We're a group, right? Like you said so… Shouldn't… S--Shouldn't I help too?"

"Hurry, I'll be there soon," a weak voice came over the radio.

"Kimiko?" Kota tried to map out the area from where he stood. "What do you mean?!"

A bright flash engulfed the area by the building. The Aragami that were still visible seemed to freeze and growl. Sakuya pushed Kota toward the plane.

"That's a stun grenade, she can escape with that! So, let's go!" Sakuya urged him to head along.

"Wh--What if it stops working?"

"We--We just have to trust her and, if it's true then she'll be already far enough away." She looked at the creatures that were fighting to move again. "I hope so..."

"Oi, ya lost?" A rough female voice resounded in their ears. "We gotta head back, ya know?"

"Who are---Kimiko, is that you?"

"N--Nope--No, a solider helpin--helping said that. I was---" Before anything more could be said, they reached their mark. Kimiko greeted them with a smile. "I'm sorry if I scared any of you, but we should leave quick so none of you are hurt…" Selfless, like an angel...

◇ ◇ ◇

"Hey, how'd it go? I heard one of the big guys showed up. That was one of the first things I got asked when I finished."

"Hmhm, that's cute, must've been worried when the news of the Vajra were heard."

"Yeah, kinda funny, huh? Hey, maybe if we pretend part of the copter---"

"Lindow! That's absolutely horrible!"

"What? I was only kidding. But did you get a chance to see? It's pretty amazing, right?"

"Yeah… You were right when you said she's basically speed, itself. I could barely believe it!"

"I know, right? I was a little worried with a newbie having a short blade since they can't always keep up with it, but I'll be damned, she sure provide me wrong. It didn't stop the misfire, but hey, atleast it wasn't my ass that got toasted. I don't think he'll ever forget that one, even if she was made to take a few days off."

"Well, he can takes things too seriously. How did things go today? Have you found any hints?"

"No, but I did find that the Director is a total weirdo."

"Lindow."

"It's obvious, isn't it? C'mon, you can't deny that one, Sakuya."

"You're as wise as always… but you don't need any wisdom to know why she was holding a cloth over her right shoulder."

"Yeah, I know… An Aragami clawed it all up."

◇ ◇ ◇

"Kimiko… I'd hate to just so suddenly change topic, but… Why do you have bandages on?" Hibari's voice grew faint towards the end.

"Eh?" Dark teal bandages wrapped around the top of her right shoulder and some of her arm. "Ah, Yes, that… Bandages are kind of a trendy thing, right?"

"I don't know about that…" The red head still seemed nervous. "We need to keep our supply of them as full as possible so…"

'And here I thought the coloring would make it less noticeable… I guess I should say sorry after forcing the doctor to think of a way it'll seem more casual…'

"What was that, Kimiko? I couldn't hear it very well."

"Oh, I was just thinking out-loud! It's nothing to worry about, Hibari." She beamed brightly, easing some of the tension. "Really, I'm fine and I'll do my best to keep everyone safe and sound!"

"I hope so." Hibari gently smiled. "Good luck out there."

"Hey, Kimiko!" The young male rookie came running over. "I heard Lindow's going to be there on our next mission. I never really got a real chance to meet him yet, but I heard some awesome stuff about him! Like, there's a rumor that he took out an Ouroboros -- all on his own!   
And, and that he has the highest survival rate, even higher than other leaders! Isn't that awesome? And we get to work with him, too!"

Kimiko giggled at the excitement he had about fighting along side the First Unit leader. "Well, he is kind of reliable, just not very professional."

"Wait, so you've got to work with him already? That's so unfair! I only got a small introduction and a handshake."

"Really? I guess being a leader re… re… ra.. qua---"

"'Require' and no, don't get your hopes up." Soma flicked Kimiko's forehead. "And you're just a dumbass." He sighed, returning a paper to Hibari. "For some reason, I was made to hand this over. I don't know what's in it and I don't care to find out."

"Aww, Soma the delivery boy." Kimiko stuck her tongue out.

He glared, not even bothering to turn and look at her. "'Tch, keep going and I'll delivery you to the morgue."

"Hah, I'll still haunt you until you're dead. Prepare for dreams other than wet." She closed her eyes and smirked confidential.

"What? What kind of pervert do you think I am?"

"I dun--don't know, but I did confirm you are, indeed, a pervert."

Hibari sighed and shook her head. "I get the feeling this is going to become a normal thing…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If wanted, I can delete this account/fic.


	4. Trigger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plane ride to rivalry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't what I was expecting to write so, it's pretty roughly written. I'm going to try harder next chapter.

The whines of the helicopter's blades sung in the background as the first unit exchanged words.

"Hibari gave you the details, right?" The black-clad man leaned against one of the corners.

"Yes, the missions seem rather simple and I know for certain that all of us will make it out unharmed, Lindow." Kimiko nodded, so hopeful…

A small mutter came from Soma. "I think that should be 'most' of us..."

"Soma…" Lindow sighed.

She looked at him, bitterly. "Oh, yes, that's right… I forgot about how I was going to use a pretty little rock and bash your pretty little skull in."

"Kimiko!" With a small gasp, Sakuya stared at her with disbelief at how violent that seemed. This wasn't going to end well…

"So, what you mean is I'm pretty and you think you can kill me." He folded his arms and turned away. "Oh, I'm so charmed."

"Huh? Wha---That's not even---Gross, gross, gross! Who would even think that about you?" She could barely hide her blush before sticking her tongue out, as if that'd prove a point. "Asshole."

"At least I can fight."

"Not this again…" Lindow shook his head.

"I can fight, and kill you with no trouble."

"Really?"

"Really."

"H--How about you settle this by some kind of something…" Kota stood from his spot on the ground to try and reason with them." Umm, oh! Who can kill the most Aragami? I'm sure that'll end this, yep!"

"Don't encourage them," Sakuya pulled him back. "Please."

After pulling a cigarette, Lindow nodded. "I think it sounds like a great idea!"

"Whoa, r--really?" Kota rubbed the back of his back. "It was only a guess, but if you say it's okay, it is, right?"

"Very tempting…"

"More so easy. I can handle either mission on my own so, I can handle a few annoyances."

"You---"

"I--I have a question!" Kota jumped in before Kimiko could continue. "Why do we have to do two missions? Isn't one bad enough?"

Lindow chuckled, patting him on the head. "I think you're a little confused. We're not doing two missions together; we'll be broken into two groups. It's not a big deal, we'll be around the same area, kind of. Either way, don't worry, I'm sure Sakuya can save everyone."

"That sounds hopeful," Soma shook his head before looking at the scenery below.  
Nothing. There was nothing to look; only ruin, everywhere. A ruin that would ultimately swallow all of humanity's hopes. Nothing was going to stop them from following such a path, it can only be prolonged. Afterall, humans weren't going to stay rulers of this damned hell. Humans were no special life forms, they were bound to reach an end like every other species.

"Um, but there's five of us, isn't there?" A look of confusion came over Kota's face. "Isn't that kinda uneven?"  
Five was only semi-true; not everyone there was truly there. Five is what the report will say, though. Five is what will people see. Five will be their truth, but...  
Truth starts with a lie.

"Depends, if we cut Soma in half---"

"Kimiko, please," Sakuya warned her.

"Cutting someone in half would work, though." Lindow nodded. "It'd be easier for the other units---"

"Wouldn't that only end in more paper work for you?" Soma glanced at the 'leader'.

"If you don't tell, no one will know." With a sly smile, Kimiko lightly giggled. "And, if you dare tell, you can join the dead bodies in the basement."

"Please don't put anymore bodies in the basement. The smell will only get worse." Soma flickered her head. "And the stains."

"Damn you…" She mumbled, glaring at him. "We all have our own interests."

"Most don't involve dead bodies and a basement."

"Well, maybe I'm not most."

""'Maybe I'm not like most.' It doesn't even make sense with how you put it."

Kota backed into the corner. "U--Um, but does this basement… really exists?"

◇ ◇ ◇

Dust danced in the air while rocks slowly cracked on their own. This was the work place; no offices, no way out, no safety, no promise of life.

"I can't believe this. What the hell was Lindow thinking?" The dark-skinned boy glared at the air that once held a helicopter. "He knows I don't need help, let alone…"

"Mmm…" Kimiko walked around, dragging her God Arc behind her. "Yep, I think I got it."

"Please stop talking and handle that with more care, at least." Soma turned to face her, resting his blade over his shoulder.  
A buster blade; long and heavy, a high chance of clumsily missing the target. A turn mid-move was near impossible with that. Yet, it seemed the best of the best could wield them like it's nothing. He was one of those bests.  
Skilled at taking out enemies with next to no problem, slashing them down, his right hand firmly on the handle as well --- The red armlet was proof of this ability, but not all. By just looking, it's a rentless monster with no cause, but eyes lie as well as minds.  
It's all to easy to fool.

"This place is perfect." She nodded, lifting the drill off the ground.  
A short blade; quick, but weak and likely to do little damage. Turns could be easy, depending on the use. Rookies called their death by choosing it if they aren't quick enough. This rookie, though, was best at speed, even with her different hand and hold.  
The golden metal was facing backwards in her left hand, with an armlet stuck on that wrist. It was used similarly to a normal drill; left hand plunging it foward, right hand giving a push at the top of the hilt so it'd drill a nice hole into the enemy. Balance and aim failed her, but there's no escaping when luck was on her side. A careless, aimless rookie who made a light and happy mood; only good as a cheerleader.  
Lies go as far as the maker.

"Perfect for what? A mass grave?"

"Not exactly. I meant this."

"This is? We don't have time for stupidity."

"Huh? I said what it was… Right?"

"You didn't realize?"

"A--Anyways, competition. This place has plenty Aragami and more than enough space."

'Kill more than her.'

"Well, that'd get the mission done and more."

'Winning against him.'

"Hmhm, it should be funny when you have to acknowledge my ability."

'Child's play.'

"Yeah, like that's going to happen."

'A piece of cake.'

"Maybe I'll kill you, too."

'She won't win.'

"Yeah, yeah, I'm so scared of a dimwitt without skill."

'I won't let him beat me.'

"Don't take me so lightly!"

\---Learn the truth.  
I will win every time.  
Learn my truth.---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If requested, I can delete this fic and account.


	5. Monster Detected!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I 'd be done with this so soon. I wrote some of this while half-asleep so, let's see how that goes.
> 
> !Warning! Blood/Violence and let me know if I'm forgetting something!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The deadly reminder of life as a God Eater.

"Lindow, are you sure about this?" Sakuya placed a hand on her hip. "Leaving those two on their own? They could kill each other!"

"W--Wa--Wait, does that mean the basement is real?" Kota's grip on his God Arc tightened. He wasn't going to get over that easily.

Lindow laughed, lighting his cigarette. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Besides, they should run into another unit's members, or at least one. Plus, this won't take too long. Just collecting a few cores."

◇ ◇ ◇

One after another, Aragami were slayed. Blood then a cloud of dust, cores were collected as the number of kills increased.

"That's three," The rookie proclaimed, her drill blade breaking through any nearby.

With a slash, it was clear Soma was ahead. "Five."

"Damn you!" Kimiko hissed, racing towards the next opponent.

"Just give up, it's obvious I won."

"No, it's not done just yet so," she defeated her fifth, "don't get cocky."

"'Tch, focus on your job."

◇ ◇ ◇

"Well, that's all for now, folks." Lindow rested his blade on his shoulder. "I think we got enough."

"Mhm, that wasn't too bad." Kota stretched.

"And I'm sure they got enough." Their leader let out an airy laugh. "Such a handful."

"It'd be less so if you didn't encourage it." Sakuya couldn't handle this, being the only mature one in the group. Where all groups so disorganized?

◇ ◇ ◇

Heavy panting followed by the small thud of two forcefully falling to their knees; their bodies were done, but not their mouths. They may have tied, but that didn't mean they would accept it.

"I win because… I win," she mumbled, glaring at nearby ground. There was no defeat, not when dealing with the boy on the otherside of the road.

He leaned against a piece of leftover building. There was no way he was going to allow her to win. "That's bullshit… and you know it."

"Yeah… kinda is."

"You a… What?"

"What's… what?"

"I don't even… Where's the… stupid jet?"

"Hah… giving… up?"

"Shut… up…"

"No… Wait… yes… Good night…"

"Yeah…"

"Oh, hello! I was wondering where the team I'm saving was!" A red-haired, seemingly proud, man trotted over to them. "Um… The team I was suppose to save?"

"Hi--'m here…" Kimiko yawned and unwillingly stood up. "A--Ah, hello." While suprised, she still had to give a small smile and warmth. "'Saving'? N… no, I'm quite… um, alright on my own… so, there's no need to… worry, okay?" She gave a cutesy wink, in hope it'd mask how truly tired she was.

"On your own? You are the new-type rookie, right?" He placed a hand on his hip and mildly tilted his head. "The rookie that's only good at running and hiding? You're a damsel in distress and I, Eric der Vogelweid, am here to save you."

"'Damsel'?" Kimiko's smile twisted into a more awkward and confused look.

"Just stay be me and I'll protect you, since I am one of the best God Eaters and I'd say protecting is my specialty." He pushed his hair out of his eyes. "We have to get going if we want to get a good number of cores before they leave without us."

"I…" She just stared, even more confused. "What?"

"I'm going to help save you, that's why I am here and was choosen specifically for this job. Did I startle you? I'm not kidding when I say I'm best at protecting others. I'd be a horrible big brother if I couldn't protect even the smallest of fleas. That's my cause and I never fail in doing so."

"Cause?"

"Yes, why would you risk your life if you have no reason to? Only complete fools would do that."

"Hmm…"

"Well, enough talking, I have cores to collect. Just stay close and, umm… Look around for any hidden Aragami. That should be easy enough and require no fighting."

"Hey," Soma said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It looks like you cleared out some of the Aragami around here. Hmph, so you can fight and defend yourself on your own. How many cores did you extract?"

"Err…" She paused slightly, before meeting his eyes. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and shrugged. "I don't know, about seven? Maybe eight."

With almost tangling feets, Eric moved back with his eyes wide. "O--Oh, so you can…? I'm sorry, I must've gotten the… The wrong person. Well, I see you're fine and the jet should be here soon and, um…" He glanced over at Soma before putting a hand up in a weak wave. "It was a pleasure to meet you and I… I think I'll wait for the next plane."

Still in a daze of confusion, Kimiko raised her hand, like a student waiting to be called on. "I have a question or… more so in… quwh…"

"'Inquiry'. You have an inquiry, blockhead." Soma sighed, flicking her.

She rubbed her forehead. "Whatever, dummy. Ahem, what I was going to say was; why are you suddenly so scared, Eric?"

"Scared? No, I'm fine, it's just…" He nervously peeked at Soma. "Well, I have more back-up work to do so…"

"Eric, look o----"

_\-----Screech---crunch!_

A disturbing mix of the sound of an Ogretail's cry and a quick inhale of a human body… a living human body.  
The blood drooled out of its mouth and any leftovers splattered across the ground. All nearby ground became a canvas dyed red. A gallon and a half blood, the average amount --- There would be no way to tell who it is, was, to the naked eye unless…

"Shit!" Even with the light-haired boy's warning, there wasn't time to escape or finish the command.

The revving of the drill broke through quicker than the Aragami's swallow of its last meal. With a small miss of the death switch, she lessned the chance of it moving while he charged in and swiftly slashed through it. A finale cry, the Ogretail fell.  
Kimiko lightly gabbed her God Arc into the ground before her and rested her hands on top of it. Soma simply exhaled the scent of death and swung his blade over his shoulder.

"This won't be the last time you see someone devoured by one of those things." He closed his eyes before glaring at her. "See why aim is so important? You're lucky I was here otherwise you'd end up only a splatter of blood."

"But I did hit it, and I even got cores today." She met his stare. "I'm… I'm not a liability, not now. You saw, I can fight and make damage with the drill."

"He said you were afraid before so, why aren't you?"

"I practiced with Kota and other unit members. I knew I had to do it, otherwise I wouldn't have a chance at fi---beating. Beating you! It's only a matter of time before I rip you apart while that pretty blood splashes everywhere I walk."

"Hmph, that's a pretty big goal there. You sure you're capable of even getting close?"

"I am and I will! You won't out-do me, Soma, and neither will anyone else!"

 _'That…_  
That will be my cause.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If requested, I can delete this and my account.


	6. Loading...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day off, a day unnecessary, but with that freedom....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's not too much that truly makes much sense or seems needed. Watch out, watch out~

'I'm sorry,  
I lied.'

◇ ◇ ◇

No mission, no problems… Besides finding something to do.  
It was rather hard for how restless some were. Relaxing was obviously an option, but too bland and troublesome. Games could… but would anyone else want to join?

"Hibari," the oh-so calming voice of Kimiko nearly scared the other girl, not noticing she appeared.

She recovered quickly; only giving a small jerk of her shoulders and a mild jump. "O--Oh, Kimiko… You scared me for a moment there." Hibari laughed, covering her mouth to dull the sound.

"Scared? What do you mean? I never thought of myself as scary."

"No, no, I didn't mean it literally. You just caught me off guard."

"Hmhm, I know, though I didn't mean to. I just thought it might be fun and… Well, I just wanted to ask something, a favor really."

"A favor? Of course, well as long as it's within my boundaries."

"Do you think… May I see the list-----"

◇ ◇ ◇

"Man, I never thought I'd get bored when watching Bugarally." Kota yawned and stretched his arms out. "I'd take a nap, but that just doesn't feel satisfing."

With a lazy shuffle, he made his way to the vending machine. There wasn't much to choose from, but there seemed to be types fitting different likings; sweet, sour, neutral, and so on.

"'First Love Juice is still here? Is there really people who drink it? Last I knew, everyone hates it and can barely get pass the first sip."

Something possessed him to get that. The can was normal, despite having embarrassing hearts on it. All he could do was stare at it in confusion. He knew from experience that it wasn't exactly friendly to the taste buds.

"Don't drink it, not even a little!" A pink-haired girl, dressed in green and black, ran over to him. "Please. For your own health."

"Y--Yeah, I kinda know that," he said, not really paying much attention. Just… Why? Who would buy it enough to keep it being manufactured? "It's just... I don't know, maybe weird?"

"Weird? Have you already drank it? You do seem a bit out of it…"

"Eh, whatever," he perked back up, lord knows where the drink went. "I guess I'm just that bored, ha!"

"Bored?" She giggled softly. "Day off?"

Kota jumped, noticing the speaker was a rather cute girl. "Whoa! I'm a little jealous I'm not part of your unit, now. They're lucky, having cute girls and all. Or, um, atleast one?"

"W--What? I… Isn't that kind of… rude? O--Or maybe not…?"

"Huh? Rude? All I did was call you cute."

"U--Umm, it---"

"It's a crude pick-up line." Appearing without giving the slights of hint she was there the whole time; the girl with an eyepatch over her left eye placed a hand on the back of the uncertain girl's shoulder. "Kanon, it might be safer to stay away from him."

"Wha---"

"G--Gina, do you think he's that... dangerous?"

"Dangerous?"

"From what I can tell, he is a teenager and hit on you. With that in mind, he can be a threat."

"Huh?"

"Well… You're normally right so…"

"H--How is that right?"

"Then stay close to me when we have no missions. I admit that I am reckless, but I'm positive I can keep you safe."

"Wha…"

"Alright, umm… Good-bye, and avoided that juice."

"But---" He sighed, mostly out of confusion. "A nap sounds good, right now…"

◇ ◇ ◇

"Are you certain? Can you truly track it down?"

"Well, after a few modifications, it should be no problem."

"Good, inform me when you determine its hiding spot."

"Though, Johannes, do you really want to trigger something like that? We're not even sure if it exists or causes---"

"Doctor. If you try to go against me, know that you won't win so… Choose your choices carefully."

◇ ◇ ◇

"I'm sorry to ask you to come with me. I promise I won't keep you long." Hibari bowed before the older woman.

She just adjusted her position mildly. "Never mind that, you wanted to talk privately, right? I know you won't waste my time with something ridiculous."

"Tsubaki--or Ms. Amamiya, the new-type rookie, Kimiko, she… She asked for something strange and I figured you'd like to know so she doesn't do anything crazy to get the file."

"File? Which one?"

◇ ◇ ◇

"It has to be somewhere… It's not on the Norn and Hibari doesn't want me to see it. Is it really that important of a file? Well, I guess… It is important to me."

In a dark, abandoned file room, the rookie dug through papers and folders then very nicely threw them on the ground. There was barely any visible part of it with all those file spread around. The more she opened cabinets, the more papers fell to the floor. So much shuffling of papers, so much clanking from a few draws being closed; sound wasn't what she cared about, only finding that folder. When the door opened, she continued to look through things. It wasn't until said visitor cleared his throat.

"A--Ah!" Kimiko nearly lost her balance, despite how small of a stumble it should have been. "L--Lindow! I--I was just…"

He chuckled, remaining outside the room. "Don't worry, kid. I'm not going to lecture you or whatever. At most, I'll lock you in there until you apologize for… You know what? Let's just forget about that for now."

"Why... are you here?" She carefully moved around the papers.

"I should be the one asking that. It is pretty hot in there with no air conditioner. I can't see why anyone would purposely come here."

"Anyone, but not everyone."

"That… Heh, I guess I should be more specific next time."

"That's probably the best option… or I could end up making all that pretty blood splish-splash as if it's water covering the floor---"

"Alright bed time."

She pouted; "I wasn't going to stay here, anyways," then awkwardly stumbled away.

He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not sure if I should get a paper shredder or the police."

◇ ◇ ◇

"The M.I.A. folder."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If requested, I can remove this fic and account.


	7. Warning! Low MP!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please look both ways before---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is overly late, I'm so sorry. Oh, and most of the typos are on purpose.  
> I don't think there are any warnings, but please do tell me if there is.
> 
> Also, I am horrible at summaries.
> 
> *When she says 'Sake', same name as an alcoholic drink, she means Sakaki, but with her poor speech, it came out to be that.  
> And yes; sake is the correct way to spell it or at least one way to spell it.

"Where, where, where? It has to be here somewhere! Where---"

An overly loud knock echoed through the room; one sign that a new day was starting.

It seemed like it's been so long since they became rookies, and friends. A month and half, they've survived a month and half doing this job so far. Maybe, it was just that tiring and getting used to this life… This life that's constantly on edge of death.

"Ah… That time already…" She adjusted the blue barrette on her shirt. "No more slips, no more tr…" Kimiko quickly shook her head and almost tripped on the way to the door.

"Hey, Kimiko! Good morning!" Kota greeted her with a wide grin. "Ready for another day of saving the world?"

"We're not heroes from a game, we're not in charge of saving or ending the world yet." She giggled softly. "Besides, how are you always so wide awake? I'm almost jealous."

"Haha, well, I just get all jittery and ready once I start moving. I can't stand being still."

"Hmhm, that's obvious enough. You jump all around, but fall right asleep during *Sake's lectures."

"H--Hey, it's not like it's really that important for our job."

"I don't know about that, but it is important to get a mission."

"Oh, yeah! We'll meet up with Sakuya and the other guys and rock even more missions."

"Yes, yes, a good day to be made better with a little Sakuya. She's very strong and pretty."

"Yeah, totally! Though, Lindow… He's nothing like Johnny from Bugarally!"

"I… Wha----Aha, sure."

◇ ◇ ◇

The central room was full of whispers about reports and rumors. Hibari kept her smile on and herself, no matter the paper work and questions handed to her. A lot of the staff seemed to keep energetic and ha--- how they normally are.

"Amazing…"

"Oh? Something wrong, Kimiko?" Sakuya waved her hand in the rookie's face. "You looked as if you were scared."

"W--What? Oh, um… Sakuya... I don't get scared or anything like that---"

"Boo."

Kimiko sighed and turned around. "Are trying to cry? You're pretty bad with that stuff, huh?"

"'Tch, shut up." Soma flicked her before walking closer to the elevator.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Are you trying to be dense? You could easily ask Sakuya so, don't bother me."

"Hmph, I--I was asking Sakuya that. Did you think I care where you're going? Bah! Don't make me laugh."

He grumbled before leaving on the elevator. Sakuya snickered, patting Kimiko's head. With a mild blush, Kimiko brushed the other's hand off and raised an eyebrow.

◇ ◇ ◇

An elegantly dressed girl looked all around at the God Eaters nearby.

"What is this?"

They joked and chatted like nothing was waiting to kill them.

"They're laughing and smiling and having fun?"

More passed by with simple small-talk.

"Why?"

Even as they were handed a mission, they stayed cheerful.

"What's wrong with them?"

Smiles and laughs were endless.

"Why are they happy?"

Joking and chatting echoed.

"Why?"

Giggling continued.

"Why, why, why?"

Joy surrounded the room.

"How can they do such a thing?"

Cheerful…

"How can they do this when everyone's dying?"

Prancing…

"They all could die! What's so fun about that?"

Careless.

"Is this how they act while their friends die?"

Ridiculous.

"Is this how they treated my brother's death? Like nothing happened?"

Foolish.

"What's happy about death?"

Terrible.

◇ ◇ ◇

The room was large with a few tables, chairs, and even a whiteboard. It felt overpowering with how orderly, too office-like everything seemed, almost too an eerie point.  
All possible pressure barely existed with Unit One there. Each of them were scattered across the room, with Lindow and Sakuya closer to the front and Soma as far away as possible. The other two looking around the place though Kimiko ended up more interested in the whiteboard.

"So… Flowery trees were all puffy, right?" She made a poor attempt at a tree trunk before looking at Sakuya and Lindow. "Shiny colors when it rained in the morning, too, right?"

"'Dew', morning dew." Soma looked her in the eye before closing his and sighing. "What you mean is the leaves are wet from morning dew."

"I… I knew that… kind of…" Kimiko kept her eyes shut a little longer before opening them. "Either way, I wasn't asking for any help."

"Seeing how much you butcher phrases, I'm doing a favor to the words."

The whiteboard squeaked as it was drawn on. "I think the tree trunk should be wider, to support all those branches and all that. Don't want any branches to stab someone's eye out, right?"

"Lindow... Are branches that heavy? The trunk makes the tree so, how could small stuff break it down?" Kimiko looked at him, holding an expo marker against her chin.

"I'll tell you when you become a leader, unless you find out before then." He chuckled, taking the marker from her. "You know, markers don't really make the best goatees. I tried, but it's a little hard and the ink kinda smells. It's not my thing, I prefer using them in coloring books."

"Eh?" With some hesitation, she rubbed a finger along her chin. "Black ink… So, I was… holding it the… wrong way…" A twinge of pink crossed her cheeks. "I--I knew that, I just… umm… wanted you to feel as if you're not the only dummy here. I would never make such a mistake so, it was all a plob."

"'Ploy'."

"No one asked you, Soma." She grumbled, covering the mess with her hand.

Sakuya laughed before looking towards Kota. "Hey, what are you doing all the way over there? I thought you preferred being near the action."

"Ewahuh!" Kota spun around too quickly that he ended up hitting the wall with the back of his head. "O--Oh, Sakuya! I didn't expect to be called out."

"Really? It's not like you to hide from the crowd."

"Ah, well… It's nothing really! I got caught up looking around."

"Hmm… Just stay out of trouble, then."

"Right!" He grinned brightly before walking over to one of the cabinets.

The cabinet… Why was this all in there? Let alone, this whole room seemed off and almost chilling... but maybe it was just due to the new factor and how the space was something he never saw before.

Chairs were scattered around the room and the one's folded up against the wall then the three tables big enough for at least three people to lay on that formed a large square with one line missing-----

The door was forcefully opened before Tsubaki walked in with a figure following behind her. She stopped to stare at everyone before looking over her shoulder.

"Hold on one minute. I just have a small lecture to give first. You can wait outside the door if you want since this isn't directed to you."

The figure nodded before stepping back and closing the door. The Unit One quieted down, but not before Kimiko could make a snarky comment about Soma causing all the trouble. He flicked her and Lindow stepped in to prevent any fighting.

He laughed lightly. "Wow, that sure sounds serious. Is someone getting a good old slap on the hand? … Or are we all on the burner?

"I'm here to clarify one thing; Confidentiality."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If wanted, I can delete this fic and account.


	8. Cheat Code

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time. I don't know where to post this since I forgot my Tumblr password. I'll think of something, maybe or maybe not.

"Con-fed-dent-chill." Kimiko faced Tsubaki with a dark aura. "Secrets, hidden but can never stay that way for long."  
  
"Kid, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Lindow muttered, trying to get her attention.  
  
The other slammed her foot down to make everyone quiet. "Are you trying to defy me from doing my job--"  
  
"Hey, let's all take a deep breath and--umm... Just focus on calming down." With a swift skip, he blocked them from getting even more aggressive.  
  
"Calm?" As if nothing serious happened, Kimiko giggled lightly... so innocently... "Silly, we're already calm, right?"  
  
Light blue eyes narrowed at her--That hidden glance of distrust, but...  
The Unit one Leader couldn't miss the strange chill. Everyone was even frozen like ice.  
  
Until Tsubaki broke the silence. "Get yourself acquitted with your new teammate. Lindow, follow me."  
  
As those two left, another entered; the new rookie. With a presence of elegance and the flow of sandy blonde hair; she continued further into the room.  
  
▪▪▪  
  
"So, what's the problem, big sis?"  
  
"Lindow. Don't call me that while we're working."  
  
"'Kay, big sis."  
  
Tsubaki sighed, giving up on him completely. "This rookie has some... problems. She does have some help so she could stabilize more as time goes on, but that's only a hypothesis. So, as the Unit leader---"  
  
"I have to keep an eye on her, right?"  
  
"Exactly, I have papers that go into more detail."  
  
▪▪▪  
  
"My name is Alisa Ilinichina Amiella. I am a new-type from the Russian Branch. I have been sent here to assist you all. I have full knowledge of how the fighting and missions go so, you need not go over them." She cleared her throat as if it'd combust from nervousness that she masked over. "It-Um, pleasure to meet you."  
  
Kota and Kimiko were barely paying attention to her introduction. They only stared at their new partner with jaws dropped.  
  
"W-Whoa, do you think---" Kota was quickly cut off by Kimiko, who nodded.  
  
"I wonder how soft---" Now it was time for Sakuya to step in.  
  
"You two! That's a horrible thing to say! And Kimiko, I didn't think you could be so rude!"  
  
"Rude? Rude."  She nodded to herself, marking it off as a word she got right. "I never knew it wasn't nice to mention someone's hair, b-but I know that... if it's true?"  
  
"O-Oh, well... Thank you for the compliment, if you could count that as one..." Alisa had a light pink tint on her cheeks. "Maybe, a-and only maybe, I could let brush it one day."  
  
"Broha-shua-ding, yeah that'd be sweet." She gave such a smile that even angels would fail in comparison. "So, it's a date."  
  
More blush peaked out. "U-Um, y---"  
  
"First of all it's 'brushing' and secondly stop acting so innocent, you're making me sick." Soma stood up with a grumble and a cold stare directed at the new recruit before storming off.  
  
Kota still seemed dazed and confused. "Whoa, that was smooth without even being smooth..."  
  
"Well, then... Running away before I could counter... I knew he'd see how I'm the better one," Kimiko smirked darkly at the door. "I won this time and I'll keep..."  
  
"I don't understand... Why---" Alisa looked forward, brows furrowed in confusion.  
  
Sakuya walked over. "Ah! It seems we never introduced ourselves. I'm Sakuya Tachibana and the leader of this unit is Lindow Amamiya and the boy who just left is Soma. Don't worry too much about him, he's---"  
  
"A pile of sh--poo." Kimiko turned to face them with a frustrated look. Once she noticed her action, she quickly gave a nervous smile. "I-I'm Kimiko, by the way."  
  
"W-Well..." Kota adjusted his position, leaning on his other leg. "Heya! I'm Kota Fujiki, the best there is!"  
  
"I think you're jumping too far ahead of yourself," Kimiko lightly giggled. "Wait a year or two, maybe three, and then you should at least be capable of cooking for the group."  
  
"C-Cooking? Why only cooking? I-I'm perfectly capable of that already!"  
  
Sakuya smiled gently at Alisa as the other two talked. "Well, I hope you can adapt easily."  
  
"That's It! We'll have a cook-off!" Kota exclaimed, jumping onto a table.  
  
"Exactly! Kota and me, head to head in a steamy cook-off!" Kimiko went right along with the idea, as if it was something grand instead of a small two-person event.

"Welcome to Unit One."


	9. Chapter 9: Clipping Error

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no real summary or reason why it's been taking so long for chapters to come out. The title is really shitty, sorry.

"Wow, whole new area to check out... That's kinda cool! Right?"

"What kind of fool would thing a battle field is 'cool'?" The sand-colored blonde flipped her hair. "Even a newborn understands that. Honestly."

"Don't worry, no one will see that you're diedied when I slash Soma into tiny bits with pretty little blood everywhere and Aragami can do the cleaning which would only add to that ocean of Soma's pretty little blood!" Kimiko was smiling with a cheerful, dark smile.

"I'm so over joyed to turn into Aragami shit." Soma huffed and rolled his eyes.

Kota quickly changed from a mild joy to a nervous stutter. "Um… I-Is blood actually, um…"

"I don't know, but Soma has pretty little blood!"

"Wha--- How do you… I-Is this part of that creepy basement?"

Alisa looked over to Sakuya, titling her head. "What is that meant to mean?"

"It's kind of…" The older woman shook her head. "Let's just ignore that factor for now." … Maybe Russia was better.

"Hey, I don't think the door is a safe place to stand, Kota."

"Then it's better for you to stand there."

"You wanna---want to see your own pretty little blood that badly?"

Sakuya tapped on Lindow's shoulder. "Shouldn't you be doing something about this…?"  
,  
"Eh, Kota and Alisa are here so, it won't be too bad. Besides, it's kinda funny to---" Sakuya sighed, turning away. "Hey, not fair. You can do the pouty look but I can't?"

Kimiko took Kota's place, by the door on the side of the plane. Though poor balance and a misstep later…

"Kimiko!" Sakuya shouted as the two fell. "Lindow!"

"Great, we lost our leader and jester."

"H-Hey!" Kota hugged the wall in hopes of having a safer look.

Alisa did the same. "T-They're not going to die, right?"

"Relax, they'll be quick." The hooded male leaned back. "Besides, we're close to the drop-off point."

"W-What? How can you be so calm about this?" The blonde rookie snapped at him. "They are part of our unit! It is not the time to sit back and do nothing!"

He gave her a small glare before pulling his hood down.

"'Tch, I really hate rookies. You don't get the reality of the situation and just think this is some game were you're some hero that can bend rules and save us all. The truth of it all is death. It's part of this job to see people die so get used to it."

\------

While their mission continued, the falling duo worked on getting out of the rubble. Dust on their clothes, scrapes on their knees, a hurting nose; it was like a rougher child's careless wounds. They coughed at the sand in the air until they were away from the jungle-jim.

"That… Why did you follow? It'd be safer to stay up there." The one with dirty rain boots questioned while gathering her Godarc.

He shugged his shoulders with a smile. "Well, it'd be bad if you - or anyone - became Aragami snack."

"Ara… gami… snack? Pfftt, that's ru-deck-ah-lose!"

"Ru-de… Your speech is kind of horrible, so is your balance."

"Sh-Shush up! Ish a small poor-blame!"

"Haha, I was only joking, calm down! Though, in serious matters…"

\------

Dark and dried dirt was overrun with moss and destructive vines. Any bit of building was barely a floor high. Bits and pieces of metal scattered the ground. Large footprints of all sorts lined across old, fallen ruin.  
A normal look for a hell hole.

"This place seems really creepy…" Kota swallowed down his fear… somewhat.

Soma pushed by him to inspect one of the footprints. "Just shut up and stay alert. There's one nearby."

"You can tell from an old footprint where it is?" Kota spun around trying to find it.

"It's not the footprint." He stood up. "I sense it."

"'Sense'?"

"Nevermind, just go."

\------

"So, my guess was right, huh?"

Lindow rubbed the back of his head while they kept moving. She made a low grumble, almost as a warning.

"Relax, relax, I'm not going to tell anyone. I'll leave that to you." He shook it off as nothing, like it was normal."

"What? 'Leave it to me'? This ain't a situa… siu… sai… Grrr! There ain't a reason to tell! And, and…" She stopped and let her head hang low.

"'And'? There's a reason to just come clean, instead of wait and let them find out anyways. There's more pain in not knowing than knowing."

**Author's Note:**

> I can delete this and/or my account if requested to.


End file.
